Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port: Affirming Vietnam's Maritime Position
The Cai Mep - Thi Vai International Port (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), one of Vietnam's two special ports (along with the Hai Phong International Port), plays a crucial role as the gateway connecting maritime trade routes of the southern provinces. It serves as a major international transshipment port, significantly reducing the transportation time of import and export goods between Vietnam and other countries worldwide.
Situated at the mouth of the Thi Vai River and Cai Mep River, the Cai Mep - Thi Vai International Port is a deep-water port complex in Phu My , Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, with a total length of over 14km. Officially operational since January 2011, the port has the capacity to provide customers with standard international container port services.
With a ship channel depth of 14m, a berth area depth of 16.8m, and a turning basin width of 500m, the port has become an ideal transshipment hub for goods between Vietnam and other countries worldwide. It is particularly suitable for serving mega-container ships with a tonnage of up to 160,000 DWT (equivalent to 14,000 TEUs).
Equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities, including three 890m long quay cranes, three 270m long bulk berths, a 55ha container yard with a capacity of nearly 51,500 TEUs, 10 STS shore cranes, 22 yard cranes, three specialized cranes for bulk berths, 76 tractor trucks, five forklifts, and five empty container handlers, the port can accommodate the latest generation of ships globally. This significantly shortens the transportation time of import and export goods between the southern region and other countries, eliminating the need for layovers in Singapore as in the past.
Recognizing the immense potential of the Cai Mep - Thi Vai seaport, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and the Ministry of Transport have unified their goals, coordinating and concentrating all investment resources to develop this seaport system into the country's special gateway and international transshipment port. According to the local development direction, the maritime and logistics sectors will be developed into the province's leading key economic sectors, closely linked to ensuring national defense and maritime security.
In the near future, major transportation infrastructure projects already underway or planned by neighboring regions, such as the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway, and Long Thanh International Airport, will contribute significantly to enhancing the cargo handling capacity of the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port complex. This will transform it into a crucial, efficient, and internationally recognized transshipment port, thereby affirming Vietnam's maritime position on the world maritime map./.
Story: Son Nghia/VNP Photos: Huynh Son